Fresh Perspectives

Hosted by Azets

Business ManagementInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

About the show

Fresh Perspectives is the business podcast from Azets – where advisers, experts, and leaders share fresh thinking to help you move forward with confidence. Each episode explores real-world challenges and opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs, from finance and growth to leadership and technology. Formerly Bang The Drum, the show continues Azets’ commitment to sharing practical advice, new ideas, and inspiring stories from across the business community. This podcast has featured at #1 in the Apple Podcast charts for Management podcasts and #19 in the Apple Podcasts charts for Business podcasts. Follow and subscribe to Fresh Perspectives on your favourite player, leave a review and share it with others who you think might enjoy it. Find more about Azets at www.azets.com . Contact us at podcast@azets.co.uk .

Listen to episodes

53 recent

June 10, 2026Episode 2333 min

#23 Q1 2026 BAROMETER - Why SMEs Still Back Themselves

This episode of Fresh Perspectives goes behind the numbers of the latest Azets Barometer to explore how SME leaders are navigating uncertainty, resilience, investment and growth in 2026. Rob Brown is joined by Peter Gallanagh, UK&I CEO at Azets, to unpack the findings from Azets’ quarterly business sentiment survey and explain what they reveal about the mindset of UK business owners right now. We explore why many SMEs remain cautious about the wider economy while still backing their own businesses to grow, how leaders are responding to geopolitical and economic uncertainty and why agility and fast decision-making are becoming more important than ever. Peter explains why resilience is no longer only about cash reserves, how succession planning is moving higher up the agenda and why businesses are still struggling to turn AI ambition into practical implementation. We also discuss labour costs, foreign investment, leadership confidence and the growing need for accountants and advisers to act as true strategic partners rather than compliance providers. This episode offers practical insight for SME owners trying to stay resilient, move faster and make smarter decisions in an increasingly volatile business environment. You can connect with Peter Gallanagh on LinkedIn. Download the latest Azets Barometer here: Azets Barometer Q1 2026. +++ Fresh Perspectives is the business podcast from Azets where advisers, experts and leaders share fresh thinking to help you move forward with confidence. Each episode explores real-world challenges and opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs, from finance and growth to leadership and technology. Formerly Bang The Drum, the show continues Azets’ commitment to sharing practical advice, new ideas and inspiring stories from across the business community. This podcast has featured at #1 in the Apple Podcast charts for Management podcasts and #19 in the Apple Podcasts charts for Business podcasts. Follow and subscribe to Fresh Perspectives on your favourite player, leave a review and share it with others who you think might enjoy it. Find more about Azets at www.azets.com. Contact us at podcast@azets.co.uk.

June 3, 2026Episode 2221 min

#22 MAKING TAX DIGITAL - What You Need To Do Now

This episode of Fresh Perspectives explores Making Tax Digital for Income Tax and what it means for business owners, landlords and the self-employed as the biggest change to the UK tax system in decades comes into effect. Rob Brown is joined by Anita Holmes, MTD Client Services Director at Azets, and Stuart Miller, Director of Product Compliance and Industry Engagement at Xero, to explain what the new rules mean in practice and who is impacted. We cover the key dates, what quarterly reporting involves and whether this marks the end of the traditional self-assessment process. The discussion highlights how prepared businesses really are, with recent data showing that most people have yet to take meaningful steps towards compliance. Anita shares insights from Azets’ involvement in the HMRC beta programme, including common client concerns and where businesses are already facing challenges. We also look at the potential benefits of this shift, including improved visibility, better decision making and fewer last-minute surprises, as well as how the rules may evolve in the coming years. You can connect with Anita Holmes and Stuart Miller on LinkedIn +++ Fresh Perspectives is the business podcast from Azets where advisers, experts and leaders share fresh thinking to help you move forward with confidence. Each episode explores real-world challenges and opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs, from finance and growth to leadership and technology. Formerly Bang The Drum, the show continues Azets’ commitment to sharing practical advice, new ideas and inspiring stories from across the business community. This podcast has featured at #1 in the Apple Podcast charts for Management podcasts and #19 in the Apple Podcasts charts for Business podcasts. Follow and subscribe to Fresh Perspectives on your favourite player, leave a review and share it with others who you think might enjoy it. Find more about Azets at www.azets.com. Contact us at podcast@azets.co.uk.

May 27, 2026Episode 2128 min

#21 EXPANDING BEYOND THE UK - How To Avoid Costly Mistakes

This episode of Fresh Perspectives explores what UK SMEs need to consider as they expand internationally and why global growth is often more complex than expected. Rob Brown is joined by Michael Holland and Annie Hughes from Blick Rothenberg to discuss the practical realities of international expansion. We explore why businesses often underestimate the complexity involved, where things tend to go wrong and the risks of moving too quickly without the right structure or advice in place. Michael shares what a typical expansion journey looks like for SMEs and where businesses most commonly get caught out, from tax and compliance to operational planning. Annie brings the personal perspective, highlighting the impact on founders, leadership teams and individuals working across borders, and the implications many overlook. We also discuss how businesses can approach international growth more effectively, what to focus on early and how joined-up advice across Azets and Blick Rothenberg helps clients navigate cross-border challenges with greater confidence. You can connect with Michael Holland and Annie Hughes on LinkedIn. +++ Fresh Perspectives is the business podcast from Azets where advisers, experts and leaders share fresh thinking to help you move forward with confidence. Each episode explores real-world challenges and opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs, from finance and growth to leadership and technology. Formerly Bang The Drum, the show continues Azets’ commitment to sharing practical advice, new ideas and inspiring stories from across the business community. This podcast has featured at #1 in the Apple Podcast charts for Management podcasts and #19 in the Apple Podcasts charts for Business podcasts. Follow and subscribe to Fresh Perspectives on your favourite player, leave a review and share it with others who you think might enjoy it. Find more about Azets at www.azets.com. Contact us at podcast@azets.co.uk.

May 20, 2026Episode 2033 min

#20 CHARITIES AND BUSINESS - Much More in Common Than You Think

This episode of Fresh Perspectives explores the financial challenges facing charities and not-for-profits, why the sector is under more pressure than most people realise, and what trustees and business leaders need to know right now. Rob Brown is joined by Siobhan Holmes, Partner at Azets and specialist in charity and NFP work, who brings a rare perspective from both sides of the table. She audits and advises charities in her day job and serves as a trustee and treasurer on a voluntary basis, including at the hospice where she started her career 14 years ago. Siobhan explains the scale of the charity sector, the financial pressures bearing down on it, and why 60% of hospices are already cutting services. She talks about what charity boards often miss when it comes to financial governance, why cash flow matters more than most trustees realise, and how to understand the difference between income on paper and cash in the bank. You can connect with Siobhan Holmes on LinkedIn. +++ Fresh Perspectives is the business podcast from Azets where advisers, experts and leaders share fresh thinking to help you move forward with confidence. Each episode explores real-world challenges and opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs, from finance and growth to leadership and technology. Formerly Bang The Drum, the show continues Azets’ commitment to sharing practical advice, new ideas and inspiring stories from across the business community. This podcast has featured at #1 in the Apple Podcast charts for Management podcasts and #19 in the Apple Podcasts charts for Business podcasts. Follow and subscribe to Fresh Perspectives on your favourite player, leave a review and share it with others who you think might enjoy it. Find more about Azets at www.azets.com. Contact us at podcast@azets.co.uk.

May 6, 2026Episode 1935 min

#19 RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS - Why Doing Good Drives Growth & Purpose

This episode of Fresh Perspectives explores how businesses can balance commercial success with meaningful social impact and why purpose is becoming central to long-term sustainability. Rob Brown is joined by Peter Gallanagh, UK & Ireland CEO at Azets, to discuss the firm’s partnership with The King’s Trust and what it means to be a responsible business today. We explore how organisations can move beyond profit alone, why alignment of values matters when choosing partners and how purpose can bring people together across a growing business. Peter explains how Azets has embedded its purpose of improving the lives of clients, colleagues and communities into the business, and how this partnership supports that in practice. We discuss what involvement looks like day to day, from mentoring and enterprise challenges to fundraising and community engagement, and how giving people different ways to contribute drives participation across the firm. The conversation also looks at what businesses gain from partnerships like this beyond reputation, including stronger employee engagement, better collaboration and the development of future skills such as empathy, resilience and communication. We explore how social responsibility is becoming increasingly important to younger talent and how it influences recruitment, retention and culture. Peter also shares how Azets measures success in these partnerships, why long-term commitment matters more than short-term activity and how businesses can approach building their own partnerships in a way that is authentic, sustainable and aligned to their values. You can connect with Peter Gallanagh on LinkedIn. +++ Fresh Perspectives is the business podcast from Azets where advisers, experts and leaders share fresh thinking to help you move forward with confidence. Each episode explores real-world challenges and opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs, from finance and growth to leadership and technology. Formerly Bang The Drum, the show continues Azets’ commitment to sharing practical advice, new ideas and inspiring stories from across the business community. This podcast has featured at #1 in the Apple Podcast charts for Management podcasts and #19 in the Apple Podcasts charts for Business podcasts. Follow and subscribe to Fresh Perspectives on your favourite player, leave a review and share it with others who you think might enjoy it. Find more about Azets at www.azets.com. Contact us at podcast@azets.co.uk.

April 29, 2026Episode 1820 min

#18 THE INSOLVENCY TOOLKIT - How Businesses Survive Financial Difficulty

This episode of Fresh Perspectives explores what restructuring and insolvency actually mean for business owners, why early advice makes all the difference and what options exist long before a company reaches the point of no return. Rob Brown is joined by Matthew Richards, Joint Head of Restructuring and Insolvency at Azets, to discuss the current pressures facing UK businesses and why rising costs, national insurance changes and global uncertainty are keeping insolvency professionals busier than they have been in years. Matt explains the difference between restructuring and insolvency, why the two are more closely related than most people think and what tools are available to directors who act early. We explore what wrongful trading means and why directors can be personally liable if they continue trading without a realistic prospect of survival. Matt walks through the practical steps any business owner can take right now, including how to build a 13-week cash flow, how to sensitise a forecast and when to have a conversation with a specialist. The episode also covers the emotional weight of financial difficulty, why most business failures are not the owner's fault and how insolvency can sometimes be the beginning of something new rather than the end. You can connect with Matthew Richards on LinkedIn. +++ Fresh Perspectives is the business podcast from Azets where advisers, experts and leaders share fresh thinking to help you move forward with confidence. Each episode explores real-world challenges and opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs, from finance and growth to leadership and technology. Formerly Bang The Drum, the show continues Azets’ commitment to sharing practical advice, new ideas and inspiring stories from across the business community. This podcast has featured at #1 in the Apple Podcast charts for Management podcasts and #19 in the Apple Podcasts charts for Business podcasts. Follow and subscribe to Fresh Perspectives on your favourite player, leave a review and share it with others who you think might enjoy it. Find more about Azets at www.azets.com. Contact us at podcast@azets.co.uk.

April 22, 2026Episode 1713 min

#17 THE MODERN CFO - How Finance Shapes the Future

This episode of Fresh Perspectives explores how the role of finance is evolving as businesses grow and why SMEs need forward-looking insight rather than backward reporting. Rob Brown is joined by Neil Martin, Group CFO at Azets, to discuss what business owners often miss when they are focused on day-to-day operations and how experienced financial perspectives can unlock better decisions. We talk about what tends to break first as businesses scale, the early signs a finance function is no longer fit for purpose and why growth requires different thinking at each stage. Neil explains how a modern CFO should act as a sparring partner, helping to challenge assumptions, prioritise decisions and look around the corner. We also discuss the importance of setting a clear North Star, how decision-making changes when leaders extend their time horizon and when it may be time to bring in or upgrade financial leadership. The episode also covers practical thinking on AI for SMEs, including where to start, how to learn from others and why curiosity plays a critical role in understanding new technology. You can connect with Neil Martin on LinkedIn. +++ Fresh Perspectives is the business podcast from Azets where advisers, experts and leaders share fresh thinking to help you move forward with confidence. Each episode explores real-world challenges and opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs, from finance and growth to leadership and technology. Formerly Bang The Drum, the show continues Azets’ commitment to sharing practical advice, new ideas and inspiring stories from across the business community. This podcast has featured at #1 in the Apple Podcast charts for Management podcasts and #19 in the Apple Podcasts charts for Business podcasts. Follow and subscribe to Fresh Perspectives on your favourite player, leave a review and share it with others who you think might enjoy it. Find more about Azets at www.azets.com. Contact us at podcast@azets.co.uk.

April 8, 2026Episode 1626 min

#16 SOCIAL IMPACT - Why Business Must Do More Than Make Money

This episode of Fresh Perspectives explores why social impact is no longer optional for modern businesses and how responsible partnerships can strengthen performance, culture and long-term value. Rob Brown is joined by Ben Marson, Director of Fundraising and Marketing at The King’s Trust. Together they discuss the role businesses can play in supporting young people, why social investment matters more than ever and how partnerships like Azets and The King’s Trust create value for customers, colleagues and communities alike. The conversation looks at the work of The King’s Trust, the challenges facing young people today and how businesses can move beyond traditional philanthropy toward meaningful, long-term impact. This episode will resonate with SME owners and leaders who believe business should be a force for good while still delivering commercial success. +++ Fresh Perspectives is the business podcast from Azets where advisers, experts and leaders share fresh thinking to help you move forward with confidence. Each episode explores real-world challenges and opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs, from finance and growth to leadership and technology. Formerly Bang The Drum, the show continues Azets’ commitment to sharing practical advice, new ideas and inspiring stories from across the business community. This podcast has featured at #1 in the Apple Podcast charts for Management podcasts and #19 in the Apple Podcasts charts for Business podcasts. Follow and subscribe to Fresh Perspectives on your favourite player, leave a review and share it with others who you think might enjoy it. Find more about Azets at www.azets.com. Contact us at podcast@azets.co.uk.

March 25, 2026Episode 1520 min

#15 AI THAT PAYS OFF - How SMEs Move Beyond Tools To Outcomes

This episode of Fresh Perspectives explores how SMEs can use AI and automation to improve efficiency, reduce risk and support business growth. Rob Brown is joined for the final time in this three-part series by Charles Richards, UK Head of Digital Client Service at Azets, to discuss how SMEs should think about AI in terms of outcomes rather than tools. We look at where automation delivers quick wins, how AI can free up time for higher value work and why strong data foundations matter. Charles explains how SMEs can move beyond experimentation by prioritising the biggest pain points, setting clear governance and building confidence through approved tools and learning frameworks. We also explore how AI can support growth by surfacing insights, improving decision making and enabling more personalised customer experiences. This is Part 3 of a three-part series and brings together customer service, technology and AI into a practical framework for SME leaders. You can connect with Charles Richards on LinkedIn. +++ Fresh Perspectives is the business podcast from Azets where advisers, experts and leaders share fresh thinking to help you move forward with confidence. Each episode explores real-world challenges and opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs, from finance and growth to leadership and technology. Formerly Bang The Drum, the show continues Azets’ commitment to sharing practical advice, new ideas and inspiring stories from across the business community. This podcast has featured at #1 in the Apple Podcast charts for Management podcasts and #19 in the Apple Podcasts charts for Business podcasts. Follow and subscribe to Fresh Perspectives on your favourite player, leave a review and share it with others who you think might enjoy it. Find more about Azets at www.azets.com. Contact us at podcast@azets.co.uk.

March 18, 2026Episode 1418 min

#14 HIGH TECH, HIGH TRUST - Balancing Technology With A Human Touch

This episode of Fresh Perspectives looks at how SMEs can balance technology with a human touch to improve customer experience without damaging trust. Rob Brown is joined again by Charles Richards, UK Head of Digital Client Service at Azets, to explore which customer interactions should be digital first and which must remain human led. We discuss how automation can remove friction, free up time and improve consistency while still preserving empathy, judgement and accountability. Charles shares practical insight into designing seamless handoffs between digital and human support, avoiding dead ends in customer journeys and ensuring customers always know who is accountable. We also explore the role of service analytics, role based learning and digital champions in helping teams use technology confidently. This is Part 2 of a three-part series and builds on Episode 13 by showing how technology can strengthen service rather than replace human connection. You can connect with Charles Richards on LinkedIn. +++ Fresh Perspectives is the business podcast from Azets where advisers, experts and leaders share fresh thinking to help you move forward with confidence. Each episode explores real-world challenges and opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs, from finance and growth to leadership and technology. Formerly Bang The Drum, the show continues Azets’ commitment to sharing practical advice, new ideas and inspiring stories from across the business community. This podcast has featured at #1 in the Apple Podcast charts for Management podcasts and #19 in the Apple Podcasts charts for Business podcasts. Follow and subscribe to Fresh Perspectives on your favourite player, leave a review and share it with others who you think might enjoy it. Find more about Azets at www.azets.com. Contact us at podcast@azets.co.uk.